What’s the last thing you told yourself today? Did it lift you up or put you down?

The daily dialogue we have with our inner voice is a crucial factor in creating our personal and professional success. Our self-talk determines how we make decisions, overcome our struggles, and interact with others. And if it’s always negative, this derails us from unlocking our full potential.

Teaching us how to master our self-talk to empower us to succeed is a globally recognized and award-winning executive coach and master coach trainer whose holistic approach has transformed countless leaders and coaches. She is an International Coaching Federation-Professional Certified Coach, a three-time Best APAC Coach and Best Executive Coach awardee, one of the Global Top 100 Exemplary Coaching Leaders and one of NY Weekly magazine’s Top 10 Life Coaches of 2024.

Not only do most people hate the sound of their voice, as I once did, they struggle to find their voice—their true voice. So we keep quiet, stay in the shadows, and waste the chance of being seen, heard, and contributing to helping make the world a better place.

In this episode, the top voice talent (a.k.a the in-flight voice of Philippine Airlines), content creator, podcaster (Sleeping Pill), and host shows you how to not only discover your voice but also use it to live your best most most authentic life and empower those around you. Once afflicted with stage fright and content to exist behind the scenes, Inka was suddenly thrust into the spotlight during the pandemic when a TikTok video she posted featuring herself and her mom doing their iconic Philippine Airlines voice-overs went viral. She has since become a force for empowering women, promoting body positivity, fighting misogyny and other injustices, and embracing her true self in a world that prioritizes perfection over authenticity.

Inka’s trademark therapeutic voice isn’t just something people love to hear—it’s a tool she has used to build a mega-platform that inspires and connects with her huge community as she speaks her mind about controversial issues and speaks her truth to spread her message of self-love and authenticity.

Words wield power. They shape how we view the world and each other, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like mental health. In a society where stigmas and misconceptions still persist, the language we use can either reinforce harmful stereotypes or help break them down. 

Journalist Pola del Monte is the content creator behind the hit social media account Miss Chief Editor. Through her content and work, she advocates for the responsible use of use language to impact our society in more positive ways. In her speech at the 2024 Cosmo Women of Influence Awards, she stressed her belief that while language can perpetuate harm and oppression, it also has the power to uplift, heal, and make a real difference. In this episode, we talked about how being more mindful of our words—whether in casual conversations, on social media, or in the media—can challenge and shift the way we think about mental health and reduce the stigma around it.

Feeling overwhelmed and anxious at work? Grappling with productivity anxiety and the constant pressure to perform at your best? When your workload is jam-packed, deadlines seem impossible, and worse, if your workplace feels toxic, how can you even balance putting in a good performance at work with prioritizing your mental well-being? This episode’s guest expert gives you insights, strategies, and solutions that can empower you to thrive while taking care of yourself as well as get the support you deserve from your employer.

Cat Triviño is the co-founder and Chief Product and Data Officer of MindNation, a global mental health organization which provides mental health services such as talks, training, and therapy to companies here and abroad. Her own personal journey and struggles with anxiety and depression have led her to a lifelong commitment to fight for mental healthcare accessibility and affordability.

Once you’ve written that book that’s been aching to come out of you (after listening to Ep.169, Part 1), the next step is to get it published. This episode sheds light on the ins and outs of today’s publishing scene in Southeast Asia and is filled with Singapore-based best-selling author Claire Betita de Guzman’s helpful and encouraging inside info, insights, anecdotes, and tips from her 20 years of writing books. 

Claire is the author of six novels: Hue City, which debuted at No. 2 on the Straits Times Bestseller list, and Suddenly Superstar, which made it to No.8 on the same list, as well as Miss Makeover, Budget is the New Black, Girl Meets World, and No Boyfriend Since Birth. She has worked with three publishers (Penguin Random House Southeast Asia, Marshall Cavendish, and Summit Books) on five books and self-published Miss Makeover.

If you're interested in collaborating with our podcast through brand partnerships, advertisements or other collabs, please send an email to our management: [email protected]

They say, “Everyone has a book inside them,” and if you’re reading this, you must feel that calling, too. This is your sign to stop overthinking it and make it happen: Whether you’re aching to tell your story, stories about others, or share your ideas and insights with the world, you know that writing a book can create a lasting impact and legacy and open doors to new opportunities. 

Motivating you to turn your author dreams into reality with her tips, lessons learned from her own experiences, and helpful insights relevant to the current times is a Filipina writer based in Singapore and author of six novels, including Hue City, which debuted at No. 2 on the Straits Times Bestseller List, and Suddenly Superstar, which made it to No.8 on the same list, both published by Penguin Random House Southeast Asia.

She also wrote Miss Makeover, Budget is the New Black, Girl Meets World, and No Boyfriend Since Birth, which was adapted into a TV series starring Alessandra de Rossi. A former journalist, she started as a news reporter for Today and was a lifestyle editor for magazines including Preview, Cosmopolitan Philippines and Harper’s Bazaar Singapore. She is a member of the Singapore Writers Group and has led talks and panels at literary events in Southeast Asia, including the Singapore Writers Festival.

Did you grow up in a conservative household or go to a religious school where talking about sex was off-limits or considered sinful? Maybe you’ve felt guilty, embarrassed, or confused about your own sexual desires and don’t know how to embrace them? Or have been shamed and judged by others for doing so, or are uneasy or squeamish when sex is discussed, but wish you weren’t? 

If you want to go from feeling sexually repressed to being empowered and feeling more confident about your sexual self and identity, listen to guest Trish Bautista, the co-founder and creative lead of Unprude, Asia’s first sex therapy app and sexual wellness ecosystem offering expert guidance and intimate wellness products. She is also an international digital creative strategist and a popular content creator who explores the intersections of intimacy, relationships, and culture in her relatable content that resonates with Filipinos, Fil-Ams, and immigrants worldwide. Born and raised in Manila, she moved to the U.S. at age 18 to study at UCLA, bringing a cross-cultural perspective to her work.

Who says you can’t have it all? Baus Rufo is living proof that you can have your cake and eat many other  career cakes, too, as he embraces and incorporates his varied interests into a successful, extraordinary, and lucrative multi-faceted career and life that fellow multi-passionates can learn from. 

In Part 2 of last week’s episode, he helps you Strat-Plan your life as he reveals how he has prepared for, juggled, and woven his many passions into a synergistic and fulfilling career path. He also gives us a reality check as he shares his experience and practical advice in navigating the challenges of balancing one’s time, energy, and mental, emotional, and physical well-being that come with this adventure. 

Multi-passionate: A.k.a. multi-talented, multi-potentialite, polymath, renaissance person, slashie, scanner, generalist—people with multiple interests supposedly having a hard time settling on a career. “Jack of all trades, master of none.”

If you are torn between your many passions and are resisting staying in just one lane despite societal pressure, this episode is for you.

Get inspired by this host, podcaster, and content creator known for his workplace parodies with over 1.3 million likes on TikTok. Named by CNN in 2023 as one of the top local stand-up comedians to watch for, he leverages his 10-year experience in corporate advertising to encourage people not to take things too seriously. He has collaborated with major brands like Procter&Gamble, McDonald’s, and GCash, all while staying true to his unique mishmash of creativity and humor.

Ever feel like you're always saying yes when you really want to say no? Do you find yourself avoiding the discomfort of speaking your mind—and then being resentful afterwards? If you’re overwhelmed by the demands of others or afraid to assert your needs without feeling guilty, this episode will teach you how setting boundaries can transform your well-being, personal and professional relationships, and overall happiness.

Coach Nikka Santos coaches professionals and teams to build self-mastery, resilience, and leadership skills by sharpening their focus and increasing their mental and emotional agility. An International Coaching Federation-certified and credentialed-leadership coach, she is the founder of The Future Leaders Program and a Care Coach for the world’s leading coaching platform, BetterUp, where she provides resilience coaching for companies like Google, Warner Media, Chevron, and NASA.